Cloud Strife
by Spiritpaw
Summary: It wasn't suppose to happen, yet it did. The future has come to haunt an innocent soul of the past, the Planet's Savior. Only problem, he hasn't hit puberty yet. Violence, non-explicit scenes and language.
1. Chapter 1

**Authors Notes:** Due to the type of person I am, I will not update on a regular basis. I know how frustrating it is to get hooked on a story only for its writer not to update regularly. So I am informing you all now that I will do my best to update at least once or twice a month. While it's not ideal for many this is the best I can offer.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything of FFVII or its components nor do I make a profit from this fanfic. I own only my imagination and what it has gotten me to write.

"_When you're famous you'll come back for me, wont you?"_

"_It's a promise!"_

"_Welcome to Midgar."_

"_So you wanna be in SOLDIER?"_

"_Hey, you doin' okay?"_

"_Hang in there."_

"_Nibelheim."_

"_So what ya gonna do once we reach Midgar?"_

"— _RUN!"_

"_You'll be my living legacy."_

"_The General."_

"_Remnants."_

"_Geostigma."_

"_So what if I'm just a puppet? Once upon a time, YOU WERE TOO!"_

"_Shall I give you despair?"_

"_I'll never be a memory."_

"_ShinRa."_

"_Grunt."_

"_SOILDER."_

"_Turk."_

"_Ancients."_

"_Planet."_

"_Holy."_

"_Zack."_

"_Aireth."_

"_Sephiroth."_

_Sorrow._

_Pain._

_Contentment._

_Relief._

_Confusion._

_Uncertainty._

_Peace._

"_CLOUD!"_


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything of FFVII or its components nor do I make a profit from this fanfic. I own only my imagination and what it has gotten me to write.

Pale eyelashes fluttered against creamy cheeks as the person stirred. Soft sky blue eyes blinked open, unfocused as their owner continued to see flashes of lights flickering across their sight and the sound of clashing metal ringing in their ears.

A small hand tugged free of the bonds the sheets had made after a restless night, to brush away a lock of spiky pale blond hair.

Gingerly arms pushed a small, yet sturdy, frame upright upon the bed, leaving their upper body only clad in a loose fitting t-shirt that was threatening to fall off of a shoulder.

Peach tinted lips pursed tightly as the now, if slightly effeminate, boy shook his head, sending his spiky locks flying as he attempted to dispel the lights and sounds that had recently taken to disturbing his nights.

Once the last of the clashing sounded and lights faded, he pulled his legs free of his coverings before cruelling across his bed, placing his bare feet upon the chilled wooden floor and made his way to the window, which he drew the curtains and opened the shutters letting the autumn sunlight shine into the room.

After basking in the soft light, the boy stretched and proceeded to get ready for the day. Once he was dressed in a faded green flannelette shirt, well worn jeans and scuffed boots, he made his way down from the small attic that served as his room to an equally small kitchen where his mother was preparing breakfast.

Ester Strife placed a plate of mixed fruit and nuts in front of her only child. He took much after her in looks, with wild blond hair and soft features, though he took after his father in complexion and has his eyes. His personality was a blend of both of them, though there was something that was entirely Cloud's.

Cloud.

Cloud Strife.

That was her sons' name. Many in the village thought she was foolish for giving her child such a weak sounding name, yet she thought it suited him down to a tee. She had given birth to Cloud while her husband was getting some supplies in Kalm and with the midwife refusing to wait for him to return to name their son Ester was forced to.

It was tradition in the village for the men to name their sons and the women their daughters, and due to the animosity the people felt towards her small family they forced her to go against the tradition, estranging them even more from the community.

Praying to her Gods for guidance and for her husband's forgiveness she named her child.

"_Cloud, for the clouds his father admires and for their temperament for they can be small and innocent only to become the bringer of storms and thus change."_

The midwife had scoffed at her choice and once the papers were signed she had left to spread the name of the babe which she had helped birth and start the scorn which would accompany him through his life in the mountains.

David had loved his son and understood that his wife had no choice but to name him. When some of the towns' men had voiced their thoughts on the matter quite loudly, David had wasted no time in sorting them out and everyone else in the village for that matter. He stated quiet firmly that he was _not_ ashamed of his sons name and had he in fact been there for his birth he would of chosen Cloud himself and was thankful that he had such a wonderful wife who knew him so well.

It had been seven years since he was born and only two since the death of her husband who was protecting some scientists on their way to the old reactor. Since then Cloud had become fascinated in the mountains and the monsters that lived there, if only so he could protect his home from them. He had also gained an interest in Mako Science and weapons, mainly swords and naturally formed Materia, which he now had a small collection of from when he found a hidden Mako Spring up in the mountains.

Ester didn't much mind Cloud's interest, what she did mind was when he brought home strays. Now she honestly didn't mind when he would bring home a rabbit kit that had gotten caught in one of his snares or a bird that had sprained its wing in bad weather, and by the Seventh level of Hell he even managed to bring home not only a stage with a broken leg but also a starving wolf _at the same time_. It still mystified her that the two had gotten on with one another even with the absence of Cloud when he left for the day. Both still came back from time to time, the stag with other for treatment and the wolf with bloody prizes.

No, Ester did not mind them at all. It was the baby _monsters_ that he saw fit to bring into her home. Though he only ever brings Sonic Speeds, Zuus, and dragons, all of which have had broken wings, how he managed to get a dragon to their home...

Sighing, Ester watch as Cloud finished his breakfast. He was only seven yet he held himself as if he was older, lately his eyes showed the soul of someone older only to vanish as though it was a trick of the light. Smiling to herself she remembered that only a few days ago he had come to her asking about cooties and if they really were as deadly as one of the village boys he'd overheard say they were.

She had noticed that her sons sleep has been disrupted by dreams and since they had begun she had seen her son do things he normally wouldn't without realising until after. Such as reaching for his back as if to retrieve something when a noise takes him by surprise, or when he had nothing to do he'll start stretching and then if he hadn't shocked himself out of it he would slowly go through hand-to-hand combat moves she had never seen, he had also begun to analyse everything around him. Looking for escape routes from building, who he could take on in a fight and what the outcome would be. The only reason she knew this was because she had asked Cloud while he was distracted. He had also taken to watching the old ShinRa Mansion.

While she worried for her son Ester knew that her son was an independent spirit and would approach her if or when he needed. For now she would watch her son and support him, never turning him away and soothing him when the dreams became too much.

Cloud looked up from his plate and offered his mother a soft smile when he saw her watching him. Finishing his meal, he took his plate over to the sink and rinsed it before placing it to the side. Turning to his mother, he gave her a quick peck on the cheek before heading for the door.

"Oh," turning back towards Ester, Cloud continued in his soft tone, "I'm heading into the woods today, going to see if there are any summer berries left before autumn really sets in." Closing his eyes he tilted his face up to think. "Maybe set up some more snares so we have more dried meat and pelts?" Lowering his head once more so that he was once more facing his mother, he smiled a bit more brightly. "Well, what do you think?"

Merry laughter tickled his ears. "Sounds like a good plan Cloud." Ester's melodious voice washed over him. "Just don't stay out to late; I need you to run some of those blankets over to the shops to trade."

"No worries mum, I won't be long, a few hours at most." And with a small raise of a hand, Cloud was out the door heading up the path towards the mountains only to veer off and head off towards the woods.

As promised Cloud returned home a few hours later carrying three rabbits, a stoat and two live fowls; which were put in a wolf-proof pen to be eaten, along with previously caught birds, over winter. The rabbits and stoat were tied onto a tree branch where they would hang as blood drained from them before Cloud set about skinning and drying the meat.

Entering the house, after washing up from an outdoor pump, Cloud was greeted by Ester, who had been folding and bundling the blankets that Cloud was to take into town.

"How did it go Cloud?"

Moving to help his mother Cloud replied. "Not too bad I suppose, the trees and bushes have been stripped bare, so it looks like it's going to be lean this year," his mother hummed in reply to that titbit, "though I did catch three rabbits, a stoat and two fowls in the snares I set up two days ago."

After binding the last blanket to its pile Ester faced her son. "Well that's better than nothing I suppose. We may have to rely on the supplies from Kalm more so this year, even if we have to pay through the nose for them." Looking around their small home Ester sighed. "At least we won't need blankets or clothes this winter, the prices they charge us are just ridiculous. No, those tanned hides and furs will do. It will be food we'll be needing, even with all that has been stocked up."

"I just hope we'll have enough money," Cloud sighed. He and his mother were not well liked by to villagers as they preferred to live off the land, which in a way was quite funny as many of to folk were so set in their ways that they frowned if a girl wasn't married and with child by the age of sixteen and disapproved of reading 'modern' literature that Ester sometime orders from Kalm when they've had the gil.

Ester smiled at her son, "Not to worry, we'll have enough. Now off you go, you still have to deliver these blankets and don't you dare-"

"Take less than 25gil for the cheapest blanket." Cloud smirked as he interrupted his mother making her huff in mock anger. "I know this mum, I have done it before."

"Yes, yes," Ester waved him off. "Off you go then young man. Don't waste time coming back, I feel as though there will be a storm tonight."

Cloud nodded his head briskly. "Of course mum. I guest as much when there was hardly any movement in the woods."

With that Cloud gathered up the bundles and made his way out of the house with his mother watching on. Ester hugged herself as she watched her son make his way into town. She had a feeling something big was going to happen and it would come in the aftermath of the storm that was coming.


End file.
